I’m a veteran Chicago-based consumer automotive journalist devoted to providing news, views, timely tips and reviews to help maximize your automotive investments. In addition to posting on Forbes.com, I'm a Contributing Editor for Consumers Digest magazine and write frequently on automotive topics for other national and regional publications and websites. My work also appears in newspapers across the U.S., syndicated by CTW Features. I'm the author of the Automotive Intelligentsia Money-Saving New-Car Guide and the Automotive Intelligentsia series of Sports Car Guides, available via Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online and at the Apple iBook store. Email me at carguyjim@att.net.

What To Do If Your Car Is Flooded Or Becomes Submerged

With nearly a quarter of the U.S. reeling from the one-two punch delivered by Superstorm Sandy, hundreds of thousands of residents may be facing the prospect of their cars being submerged in a torrent of sea- and/or rainwater. Some who otherwise escaped the floods could find themselves in a potentially life threatening situation once they venture out if their cars suddenly become inundated on a waterlogged thoroughfare or under a viaduct. According to the National Weather Service, nearly half of all flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.

For starters, if your car is currently under water or suspect it’s been flooded by the storm surge take heed. The AAA cautions that you not to try starting a car that’s been submerged without first having a technician perform a thorough inspection and cleaning. Salt water, for those who live in coastal areas, can be particularly damaging to a car’s components.

“In addition to the obvious damage done to upholstery and carpeting, flood water is a corrosive and abrasive mixture of water and dirt that works its way into every seam and crevice of a vehicle,” says the AAA’s John Nielsen. Even if it starts up on the first try, Nielsen says a flooded car’s engine, transmission and fuel, brake, power steering and electrical systems are vulnerable to increased wear and premature failure.

If you’re calling the AAA or other service for roadside assistance, be patient, as you’ll probably be on a long list of those seeking help, and have reasonable expectations. The AAA generally handles dead battery/starting, flat tires, lockouts and other relatively minor service issues. Tow trucks are set up to drive through about 18 inches of water to pull submerged vehicles to dry land, but don’t expect drivers to sacrifice their own safety or the integrity of their equipment negotiating levels deeper than that.

If a car has been completely or partially submerged, extensive disassembly may be needed for a thorough cleaning. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come cheap. Depending on its make, model and age, the cost to restore a flood-damaged vehicle could exceed its value, in which case the owner’s insurance company would consider it “totaled.”

If you live on higher ground and your vehicle has thus far remained dry, be extra cautious when venturing out for the first time to avoid becoming submerged in standing or surging water. Dips in the road, viaducts and areas adjacent to rivers and streams are especially susceptible to flooding during or after a normal downpour, let alone a storm of Sandy’s magnitude, and you should never assume that standing water is shallow enough to negotiate. If local authorities are telling residents to stay off the roads, don’t risk the trip in the first place.

According to the National Safety Council, if your car suddenly becomes submerged, stay calm and remain buckled in your seat. If the water is substantially deep, the car should remain afloat long enough for you to escape. Immediately unlock the doors and open the windows – your car’s power accessories should continue working for at least a minute or so. Unbuckle your seat belt (and those of children or other riders who need assistance) and exit through the open windows, swimming to safety in the direction of the current if you’re in deep water.

If they won’t open, try kicking out a side or rear window, though it won’t be easy. Those living in flood-prone areas might want to consider carrying a small hammer or specific car window-breaking tool in the glove compartment for this purpose. If you can’t leave via a window and water is entering the cabin wait until the pressure is equalized on both sides of the door (usually when its as deep inside as it is outside) before attempting to open it.

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My grandson drowned because he did not know that immediate escape via a window is essential to survival and tried in vain to escape via a door. Since his death I have become an advocate for vehicle-immersion self-survival training. Opening a door will flood the vehicle more quickly and trap you inside. Go out the window and climb atop the vehicle, and then call for help or determine your best next move (do not waste valuable time calling 911 before exiting the vehicle). Check out this training video produced by the Indiana State Police. It demonstrates this proven self-survival method: http://www.in.gov/isp/2689.htm. For additional information, please review my web site at http://sites.google.com/site/getoutaliveorg/.

Thank you so much for posting this information on what one should do if your car is flooded. I left a window down one night and there just happened to be a huge rainstorm. Do you know of a water damage service in colorado springs? Thank you for your help!